This invention relates to a process for pressure pretreating of stains on fabrics prior to washing, preferably prior to washing in an automatic washer. The process of this invention employs water pressure or air pressure or both in combination with a stain treating solution to pretreat stains on fabrics. The stain treating solution may be a liquid detergent or a liquid formulated for treating stains.
Also, this invention relates to an automatic washing machine having means for delivering a stain treating solution under pressure to stained fabrics.
Recent automatic clothes washing machines customarily proceed through a sequence of operations or cycles in order to wash, rinse and spin dry clothes. The sequence ordinarily includes a prewash, a first liquid removal operation, a wash operation, a second liquid removal operation, a rinse operation, and a final liquid removal operation.
In order to obtain the desirable results form these machines, it has been found advantageous to introduce certain additives into the water or washing cycle that is employed. A pre-wash additive may be added in the soak operation; a soap or detergent is normally used in the washing operation and a bleach may also used in this operation, while rinse agents are added to the rinse water.
In an automatic washing machine, it is desirable that these additives be dispensed automatically. When the dispensing of additives is automatic, the user may load the fabrics to be washed into the wash tub and place the additives into their proper compartments or containers, and the machine automatically completes the cycle of operations. Also, the best results are obtained if these various additives are dispensed with water so that additives are metered in to the wash tub and evenly distributed rather than being concentrated into a few of the articles.
A number of different types of dispensers for liquids in automated washing devices have been used heretofore. Among these are such differing approaches as electromechanical devices which require programmed remote actuation, as well as a number of what are essentially self-actuated devices of a primarily mechanical nature which respond to various conditions during the operation of the washing machine, often a predetermined agitator speed threshold, to dispense liquids at some given point during the washing process without the need for external control devices.
Even though there is disclosed in the art the dispensing of various additives into the washing machine, the pressure pretreating of stains on fabrics has not been fully appreciated. While stain removal additives are available in the market place which may be added in a particular cycle during washing or the stain may be pretreated by hand with a stain remover solution purchased off the shelf, some stains are not completely removed by such methods as for example: mud, grease, coffee, oils, grass, etc. stains.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide means for pretreating stains on fabrics prior to washing.
It is another object of this invention to provide means for pressure pretreating of stains on fabrics prior to washing.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide means for pressure pretreating of stains on fabrics utilizing the pressure of water, air or a combination of both.
The foregoing and other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description of this invention and appended claims.
The instant invention is directed to a process of pressure pretreating stains on fabrics prior to washing, preferably prior to washing in an automatic washing machine. This invention also provides means for delivery of a stain pretreating solution under the pressure of water, air or a combination of water and air pressure. The stain pretreating solution may be delivered concentrated or diluted, and may be a liquid detergent or a liquid stain treating solution. While a solid detergent or solid stain treating material may be employed in the practice of this invention, it would need to be applied in solution form in order to provide a liquid solution for delivery to the stain.
Obviously, if the stain pretreating solution is delivered under water pressure, the stain pretreating solution will be diluted. It is necessary that in the practice of this invention, the delivery of the stain pretreating solution be under pressure.
As used herein, stain treating solution shall mean liquid stain treating solution or solid stain treating material in solution.